Amid all the hype surrounding Jacksonville, Fla., this weekend, the Hoops for Hope three-on-three basketball tournament nonetheless drew a great turnout as it tipped off early Saturday morning.
Founded in 2002 and run through the Volunteer Service and Learning Center (VSLC), the tournament directly benefits the Jimmy V. Fund for cancer research.
Participants began shuffling into the Plex at 9 a.m., with 45 teams divided between the men's, women's, and coed divisions, but for many teams the day was about more than just winning.
"The thing about today is everyone's honoring someone and it means a lot to them," said Kim Brunelle, the event coordinator and A&S '08, "but we also want to make sure everyone enjoys themselves."
And while there was no certainly no lack of athletic talent, the event offered a way for non-basketball players to get involved as well, with volunteers helping to register teams and keep score for all the games.
"It couldn't be done without the student volunteers," said Charu Stokes, a graduate assistant who oversaw this year's Hoops for Hope project.
Brunelle agreed, saying the amount of planning that goes into the event is unbelievable. The key though, Stokes said, is for more people to get involved.
The event was spearheaded by a committee of 10 students working together through the Jimmy V Foundation. Together with Boston College Athletics and the VSLC, committee members began meeting in September, working on the event and finding sponsors.
Much of the funding is derived from sponsors such as Powerade, American Airlines, EA Sports, and BC Athletics, as well as the Boston Celtics and New England Revolution which each donated an autographed ball to be auctioned off.
"The goal is a combination of raising awareness and funds," Brunelle said. "We hope to raise about $10,000, which goes directly to the Jimmy V Fund."
Each team playing was guaranteed at least three games, with the winners progressing toward the finals in each division. The games were 10 minutes in length, with ten games played simultaneously. The finals of the coed division were scheduled for later in the day, with the men's and women's finals slotted for Dec. 12.
Prizes for the top teams included Red Sox and Bruins tickets, assorted gift certificates, BC gear, and tickets to hockey and basketball games.
During registration, each participant put the name of a person who they were honoring on a picture of a basketball. As play tipped off, with many teams sporting shirts honoring cancer victims, several volunteers cut out the basketballs and taped them to the wall of the Plex, forming the word "hope."
"For an early Saturday morning [the turnout] was impressive," said Michael Cheffler, A&S '09. "We like to do whatever we can to help and have fun playing basketball at the same time."
For teammate Wes Newhouse, A&S '08, the games had a greater meaning. "My friend's dad passed away [due to cancer] - he was the one who got me involved," he said. "I feel like even if people aren't directly affected, it touches everybody."
The Jimmy V Foundation was established in March of 1993 by Jim Valvano, who coached the North Carolina State men's basketball team and led them to the NCAA championship in 1983.
Valvano later passed away in 1993 from metastatic cancer. The foundation that lives on in his name strives to make a difference by creating an urgent awareness among all people of the importance of the fight against cancer.
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